The Renovation Complication

44. Stars

It's too hot in here.

Thank God neither of us wore makeup, because by now we would have sweated it completely off. I'm ready to collapse from dancing. It hurts to walk, but Katherine drags me back to the dancefloor. There is no measure of time as one song becomes another becomes another becomes another.

Once or twice I see a flash of golden ringlets or a faded jersey or forest green eyes, but I try to at least pretend not to be anxious. For Katherine. She's laughing and bobbing along to the music, all five feet of her.

"I," I inhale deeply, "I need a break, Kat," I'm panting as I push past bodies of people that I don't know. I have to push the stringy hair from my face that Kat worked so hard to straighten. I find a sofa strewn with streamers and other things that I don't want to think on. And, score! There's only one couple making out on it, and they're minding their space pretty well.

I utter polite excuse me's and pardon's to dozens of drunken teenagers that don't even notice me pushing them out of the way. And then I push past the wrong person.

He's so intoxicated that he stumbles and lands on the couple on the sofa. The girl makes an indignant shriek and the boy looks incredibly annoyed. "What the hell, Darren?"

Oh no.

I can't move a muscle as Mason's eyes scan the crowd to find who caused 'Darren' to interrupt his very... intimate scene with Kasey. The breath catches in his chest when his eyes land on me, rigid and eyes wide ten feet away. It almost seems like he opens his mouth to say something before Katherine collides with my shoulder.

"There you are!"

I gulp down whatever feelings were resurfacing and give her a watery smile. "You good?" She pants, using my taller frame for support.

I will not look back at Mason, I will not witness Kasey throwing herself onto him. I will not check what pattern is on his sweater this year.

And Kasey, jeans aren't exactly an easy access clothing item.

"I think I might go home," I mumble, faking a yawn. "I'm really tired."

"Yeah? You got a house key?" Her pale features pinch with concern. She probably thinks my nausea from Monday is resurfacing.

That's true, in a way. I nod.

Before I leave, I make sure not to leave Kat alone, searching hand in hand for a familiar face. "Stanley!" I shout over heads and almost feel Katherine's body temperature increase. A thin, pale face pops up above average height and grey eyes meet ours. He grins when we reach him, having to yell over the music. "Take care of Kat?"

"I'm not a baby!"

"Sure," He grins warmly at Katherine and she giggles nervously as I place her hand in his and nod goodbye.

But before I can escape, "Tori!" Ugh, leave me alone you pig. "Where are you going so soon?" I look up at Dylan, sure to keep my distance this time.

"Home." I answer shortly before brushing past him, avoiding make eye contact. I stare at the floor and try to remove any images of Mason from my head, but it's just so hard. I think someone calls my name from inside, but I don't turn, I don't slow down.

The air is too thick with sweat and alcohol on breaths mingling in the air and everything is starting to go blurry. I slam into bodies and snap some insults that aren't my strongest before finally breaking through the barrier.

Freedom!

Fresh air!

Empty?

There's not a soul out here. Perhaps we've been here longer than I thought, because the crowds of teens that were on the lawn when we arrived have migrated indoors. The music is muffled out here, and it's a nice change to clear my head. The air is far crisper and I swallow a lungful.

These party things make you really appreciate the cool breeze and absence of conversation, even though I'm only a few feet away from the event itself.

The yard is a mess. There's tin cans, streamers, cups and even clothes spread evenly across the grass, in suspiciously organised intervals. It's like a director walk around saying yes and here we want a shoe and a shirt; the other shoe here; a sun hat even though it's dark out; a bikini top over here. I don't know why I stay here. I stand, inhaling and exhaling the emptiness of the street. There aren't any lights on in my house. I pretend that there is no music blasting behind a wall and I pretend that someone didn't take my first kiss from me tonight.

I should have punched him. I should have just done it.

Over the muffled bass, I must not hear the footsteps that exit the house and patter on the litter in the yard. I'm so lost in my own thoughts that when a hand wraps around my waist and spins me, I don't even have a second register what's happening before someone's lips crash against mine.

Dylan, is my first thought and I want to push away immediately. But something stops me. Something is different.

And there certainly isn't nothing.

One hand is on my jaw and the other is on my hip, thumb brushing against the texture of my jeans. Molten lava is running through my veins, powering electricity wires buzzing in my head.

I have no idea who's kissing me right now, and like the hormonal teenager I am, I don't care. It feels like a campfire has ignited in my chest and oestrogen is roasting marshmallows and singing songs. My chest is swelling with the notes. This is right, this is what my first kiss was meant to be like.

Everything is fruity and fuzzy and... tingly?

The body breaks away far too quickly and I'm almost scrambling to avoid losing contact. Yeah, I'm that pathetic.

I don't want them pull away because it will ruin this feeling and reality will settle back into my bones. They smell fruity and wherever they touch me sends tingles shooting through my body. I don't want them to pull away because I already know who he is.

I squeeze my eyes shut tighter so that I don't see, so that everything impossible stays impossible and there isn't even the slightest chance that this could happen. Because it couldn't. Not in a million years.

I hear a tired sigh before he pulls away completely, fingers brushing away from my face. And this time I do hear the footsteps, getting farther and farther away. I open one eye only to just catch the light bouncing off of his hair.

His sweater is covered in stars.

*******************************************

Ahhhhhhhhh, I've been writing all day and doing hardly any assessment or studying and I'm actually going to cry myself to sleep, right after I write moooorrrreeee

Also, soory about these chapters, they're unedited and probably dodgy.

Love all

Don't forget to vote/comment/share <3

HEYO GUYS JUST THOUGHT I'D ONCE AGAIN ANNOY YOU WITH THE LINK TO MY POETRY BOOK www.lulu.com/shop/eva-hale/doors-to-nowhere/paperback/product-23304153.html